Chicago P.D. was developed as a spin-off of Chicago Fire, with NBC first reported to be considering the project in March 2013 before picking it up for the 2013–14 season as a midseason replacement.

Before the show went into production, actors Tania Raymonde, Kelly Blatz, Scott Eastwood, and Melissa Sagemiller were initially cast, but Sagemiller was replaced by Jesse Lee Soffer, and Eastwood and Raymonde later departed the series over creative differences.

The series is filmed entirely in Chicago, and the exterior of the police station house used is the Old Maxwell Street Police Station, the same location previously used in the classic series Hill Street Blues.

The fictional 21st District station is located about half a mile from the firehouse location used for Chicago Fire, reflecting the shared universe of the Chicago franchise.

Production on the seventh season was shut down on March 13, 2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November 2017, it came to light that Sophia Bush had left the show because of star Jason Beghe's behavior behind the scenes, which led NBC to open an investigation; Beghe later admitted to engaging in aggressive behavior and apologized.

The character Nadia Decotis, played by Stella Maeve, was killed off in a Law & Order: SVU crossover episode, 'Daydream Believer,' as part of a multi-show crossover event between the Chicago franchise and SVU.

The legal drama spin-off Chicago Justice was introduced through Chicago P.D. characters in the 21st episode of P.D.'s third season, and its working title was originally 'Chicago Law' before being changed after Nazneen Contractor joined the cast.